危险物品 (wēi xiǎn wù pǐn) — dangerous goods; hazardous materials

Definition

noun
dangerous goodshazardous materials
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • ,危险物品。
    Zuò fēi jī de shí hou, bù néng dài wēi xiǎn wù pǐn.
    When flying, you cannot bring dangerous goods.
  • 危险物品。
    Zhè xiē wēi xiǎn wù pǐn yào fàng zài ān quán de dì fāng.
    These dangerous items should be placed in a safe place.
  • 危险物品。
    Gōng rén bì xū xiǎo xīn chǔ lǐ wēi xiǎn wù pǐn.
    Workers must handle dangerous materials carefully.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

危险dangerous
危wēidanger险xiǎnhazard
联合Side by side
物品goods
物wùthing品pǐngoods
联合Side by side

危险 conveys danger, and 物品 conveys goods, so the whole means dangerous goods.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 險; 险 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān險
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 險 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 僉, which gives the sound; the simplified 险 is a shorthand.

Open 险 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

品 repeats the same simple shape three times, representing various objects.

Open 品 →

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